
Safety Practices
WARNING:If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., do
not rapidly spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear the tire and
cause an explosion. A tire can explode in as little as three to five
seconds.
WARNING:Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Driving habits have a great deal to do with your tire mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but
your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment
periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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7. Remove the jack and fully tighten
the lug nuts in the order shown.
Refer toWheel lug nut torque
specificationslater in this chapter
for the proper lug nut torque
specification.
8. Unblock the wheels.
Stowing the wheel and jack
1. Fully collapse the jack and place it back in the storage area in the
trunk.
2. Replace the jack retention bolt to secure the jack.
3. Place the tire in the storage bin in the trunk.
4. Replace the cover plate and bolt.
•When storing a flat road tire, flip the cover plate over and use the long
bolt.
•When storing the temporary spare tire, replace the cover plate and
use the short bolt.
5. Secure the bolt using the lug wrench.
6. Insert the lug wrench and bolt in the tool bag and place over the jack.
7. Replace the carpeted load floor panel.
WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
WARNING:When a wheel is installed, always remove any
corrosion, dirt or foreign materials present on the mounting
surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or
brake disc that contacts the wheel. Ensure that any fasteners that
attach the rotor to the hub are secured so they do not interfere with
the mounting surfaces of the wheel. Installing wheels without correct
metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces can cause the
wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while the vehicle is in
motion, resulting in loss of control.
Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque within 100 miles (160 km)
after any wheel disturbance (tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel
removal, etc.).
1
4 3
2 5
Roadside Emergencies
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•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle may reduce fuel economy at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example; bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
WARNING:Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass
or other dry ground cover. The emission system heats up the
engine compartment and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Maintenance and Specifications
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Scheduled Maintenance Guide
Normal Scheduled
Maintenance and Log .............352
Seats ..........................................118
child safety seats ....................165
front seats ...............................120
heated ......................................124
SecuriCode keyless entry
system ........................................111
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................112
Servicing your vehicle ..............286
Setting the clock .........................28
Side air curtain .........................157
SOS Post Crash Alert ...............160
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................330, 336
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................331
Speed control ..............................83
Starting your
vehicle ........................207–208, 210
jump starting ..........................264
Steering
speed sensitive .......................220
Steering wheel
controls ......................................86
tilting .........................................74
Stereo
CD-MP3 .....................................28
SYNC..........................................44
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................74Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....194
Tires ...........................179–180, 257
alignment ................................187
care ..........................................183
changing ..................................257
checking the pressure ............183
inflating ...................................181
label .........................................193
replacing ..................................185
rotating ....................................188
safety practices .......................187
sidewall information ...............188
snow tires and chains ............199
spare tire .................................258
terminology .............................180
tire grades ...............................180
treadwear ........................179, 184
Towing .......................................205
trailer towing ..........................205
wrecker ....................................268
Transmission .............................222
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....220
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................322
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .........................322, 324
fluid, refill capacities ..............331
lubricant specifications ..........331
manual operation ....................228
Trunk .........................................105
remote release ..................94, 109
Turn signal ..................................59
U
Universal garage door opener ....89
USB port ......................................37
Index
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